Dr. Dan L. Edmunds, Ed.D,B.C.S.A.,DAPA.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

The Invention of 'Illness'
We must depart from a medical model which fails to truly understand experience.
Published on June 8, 2013 by Dan L. Edmunds, Ed.D., B.C.S.A. in Extreme States of Mind
I share this scenario because sadly it is becoming a frightening reality: A child is considered overly active and has behavioral issues at school. The school staff may recommend psychiatric intervention and even go as far as to say that medication is necessary, even designating which one. The child sees the psychiatrist for a brief session- it is not thoroughly examined if the child has any physical conditions, allergies, etc. Immediately the child is labeled and given a dose of psychostimulant. The child develops side effects such as weight loss, insomnia, and possible tics. In order to counteract the insomnia, a new drug such as Klonidine is added. The child develops emotional lability and has crying episodes and manic behaviors. The psychiatrist is seen again for a brief time, and on this visit its determined that 'bipolar is emerging'. The child is then given Depakote or some other mood stabilizer. The child now must receive regular blood tests to insure that liver toxicity does not arise. The child is not overly active, he is quite docile, so it is reported that improvement has occurred. However, with the combination of drugs, he develops some psychotic like symptoms where he feels something is crawling on him and has some hallucinations. The psychiatrist is consulted again, and its determined that bipolar with psychotic features exists or maybe even the possibility of childhood schizophrenia. The child is then given Risperdal or another neuroleptic. Strangely, the child begins developing unusual jaw movements and muscle rigidity. The parents are concerned and ask the psychiatrist if this is medication related and if the child is overmedicated. The psychiatrist brushes off the question and prescribes Cogentin (used for Parkinson's) to alleviate the neurological problems caused by the development of tardive dyskinesia but fails to remove the offending agent. The child's behavior becomes more unusual and bizarre leading to hospitalization where medications are raised and adjusted and new ones added. Then the recommendation comes from the psychiatrist that it would be better for the child to be moved to a residential treatment facility. While in the residential facility, the child is frequently restrained and is injured, he is placed with other children with serious emotional and behavioral distress. He is discharged home having absorbed a lot of new negative behaviors from peers, lacking knowledge of the outside world, and with few skills. So, once the child nears adulthood, it is recommended that he live in a group home where he can be cared for and the psychiatric regiment can be maintained. The child has been 'treated.'
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What is the solution to resolving the insanity of the mental health system? First, we must stop looking through the eyes of a medical model, where we see children as broken and disordered and attempts are made to attributing their behaviors and emotions solely to a malfunctioning brain. There is no evidence supporting the psychopathology of a number of disorders. The linkage between the pharmaceutical companies and psychiatry needs to be evaluated as well as the information that is disseminated via the research and materials provided by pharmaceutical company money. The goal should be to examine the underlying factors of a child's behavior, looking at the child with dignity and respect, and seeing the child as one in conflict rather than a person who is disordered. Such stigmatization remains indefinitely, and labels can often become a self fulfilling prophecy and will follow our children for years to come and shape the way that they view themselves and also the way others view them, particularly the educational system. We cannot look to solely the most cost effective solution when our children's lives are at stake. Indeed, providing a prescription may control aspects of behavior and be though to have a 'therapeutic effect' but never gets to the root cause, and whereas it is far less expensive to medicate than to provide ongoing psychotherapy, it is appropriate and compassionate counsel that will make the difference. Second, the realm of psychotherapy must return to its original roots. The word psychotherapy literally means the healing of the soul. We must return the soul to therapy, encouraging therapists to instill within themselves the principles of compassion and empathy that are crucial for any therapeutic relationship to blossom forth. Therapists need to be compassionate and creative, and willing to give additional time and effort to see that a child's needs are met and to also provide community linkages and ongoing support within their environment and to encourage the least restrictive setting for our children. We need to hear our children's voices, even if they speak to us in metaphorical means. We need to listen to the behavior of children as possibly their only way to communicate to us their situations of distress and the impact of living in a disordered world. The coercion of parents and families into forced 'treatments' needs to be eliminated. Third, the educational system must be willing to accommodate to meet the various learning styles of children and not seek to place them in a box of rote learning or limit them to one particular style. Some children may falter in a visual setting and need a hands on approach, whereas others may need other methods of encouraging their effective learning. We must return time, attention, and individuality to the classroom. Fourth, parents need to continue to take an active role in the lives of their children, providing ongoing guidance, validating emotions and not taking a dismissive, disapproving, or hands off approach. Rather, parents must be involved in helping the children develop their own sense of being, and being able to assess themselves. Parents need to avoid nagging their children and becoming entrapped in the propaganda that their children are disordered and need drugs to function. Fifth, our society must change in it attitudes. If we worked towards ending poverty and alleviating social injustice, the rates of emotional distress would definitely decline. We are a society where we try to find our answers to ailments within a simple pill. We are a society that has unfortunately lost sight for the welfare of our children. We are a society where we are prosperous, yet greed often blinds us. Such disorders such as ADHD can be looked upon as a social construct. 90% of Ritalin sales are in the US. This tells us that there is something to be examined within our society that needs correction. Somewhere along the line we have failed our children. This is not to lay blame on any particular individual but to understand that our children are in crisis, and it is up to all of us to take the steps for change. We need to rely less on psychiatry and its devices to solve our problems and more on what we can do within ourselves- to take a holistic approach, to understand the child as a whole person- physical, emotional, and spiritual, and to examine in each of these areas where there may be difficulties that can be alleviated. We need to rely less on others dictating the course of our own and our children's lives and develop workable plan within our own family structure. Nothing will ever be perfect, but even in the most serious disturbances, love and compassion can heal much. We must realize that in some situations within society and within our own lives, we may never be able to evoke complete change. This is the cause of much distress, not problems themselves but how we respond to them. To battle those things beyond our control can lead us to emotional distress, but if we seek live as principled individuals, we can make a difference

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Dr. Dan L. Edmunds has pioneered drug free, relationship and community based programs for persons undergoing extreme states of mind ('schizophrenia', 'schizoaffective', "bipolar), troubled adolescents, and victims of trauma. Dr. Edmunds also has worked extensively with autistic and developmentally children and adults and developed the Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Autism Acceptance Project. Dr. Edmunds profile with links to recent radio and television interviews can be found at:

Dr. Edmunds' main focus is on creating a safe environment of empowerment where suffering is not avoided but is realized as part of the human condition and the person is supported. Dr. Edmunds seeks to encourage dignity, autonomy, and self determination.

About Me

Dr. Dan L. Edmunds is a graduate of the University of Florida. He received a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Scranton and received his Doctorate of Education in Community Counseling from Argosy University of Sarasota. Dr. Edmunds
is a noted existential psychotherapist in practice in Northeastern Pennsylvania, having worked with children, teens, and adults. He is Board Certified in Sexual Abuse Issues through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Dr. Edmunds has been a guest on local and nationally syndicated radio programs and has been a presenter at numerous professional conferences.
Dr. Edmunds has been a critic of the bio-psychiatric paradigm and advocated for a more humane and dignified mental health system. He strongly supports human rights in the mental health field. He consults with children, families and adults undergoing serious emotional distress and extreme states of mind using a relationship based approach. His website can be found at http://selfgrowth.com/experts/dan_edmunds.html
To consult with Dr. Edmunds, you may e-mail the International Center for Humane Psychiatry at
batushkad@yahoo.com

BOOKS BY DR. DAN L. EDMUNDS

Meeting of Two Persons; Mystical Metaphors; They Say My Child Has "ADHD"

DR. DAN L. EDMUNDS

Dr. Dan L. Edmunds has pioneered drug free, relational, and community based approaches for persons undergoing extreme states of mind and has been involved in autism acceptance. Dr. Edmunds is the author of THE MEETING OF TWO PERSONS, a dynamic text detailing the social, familial, and political processes that lead to emotional distress. He is also the author of MYSTICAL METAPHORS which makes the experience of 'psychoses' understandable and discusses the need to 'journey with' persons undergoing distress. Dr. Edmunds is a social activist and researcher. He is Director of the Critical Psychology Certificate Program at EAU and the Founder of the International Center for Humane Psychiatry.

Dr. Edmunds has developed a low fee clinic in Northeastern Pennsylvania to make compassionate, empathic therapy accessible and to offer alternatives to often toxic psychiatric drugs. Dr. Edmunds has alterted to the dangers of psychiatric drugs and advocated for a more humane mental health system. In 2006, he founded the International Center for Humane Psychiatry, an emancipatory movement for human rights in the mental health system. Dr. Edmunds is a contributor to the Psychology Today and Mad in America websites and has frequently been interviewed on radio and television.

Dr. Edmunds completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida receiving a BA in Religion with minor in Sociology. He received his Master of Arts from the University of Scranton. He completed post-graduate coursework in Dispute Resolution via Nova Southeastern University and earned a Doctorate of Education from the University of Sarasota. Dr. Edmunds is Board Certified in Sexual Abuse Issues via the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and is a Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association.